Going Steady: New Singles 12-23-22 – 12-29-22 Reviewed
No really, the music industry is having a little nap till about the third week in January when it will start up all over again. It might be a time to worry about songs I’d missed: “Cuff It” By Beyonce from an album I consider well over rated or both Red Hot Chili Peppers and (count em) six Ryan Adams and two of which I very nearly missed.
So I guess this is the last Steady of the year…
Dancing’s Done – Ava Max – one effect of the fall of the Soviet Union is the former Unionists became free and Eastern Europeans have been having a moment, the UK’s Dua Lipa for one, and Ava Max -who is way Albanian and mythic, is a skinny, sexy starlet performing cross-current European dance pop with a big nod at Madonna for the “Like A Prayer” soundalike, for another. If Ava wasn’t much at Jingle Ball 2022 she still wasn’t bad – B-
Umbrella – Bunji Garlin – the big time Trinidadian dancehall meets soca performer is readying for a huge 2023 soca fest, until then search out the 2elements ( aka Sebastian Ingrosso & Steve Angello) Remix, a rare winner in a sad year of reggae – SINGLE OF THE WEEK – A-
Gato de Noche – Ñengo Flow, Bad Bunny – “He loves you and gives you everything/ But you’re the devil and you’re crazy for me/ You like the bad boys and are playing fire with me […] although you’re a sin, I’m going to hell following that big a–/ I’m on my way/ Today I’m picking you up after midnight,” Bunny sings on the reggaeton track. Nengo has never been less O.G. – B+
I Want to Come Home for Christmas – Sam Huber – the lost and great Marvin Gaye’s Christmas protest songs not released till 1990 at all, and it is nothing if not both major and a bummer, about a soldier in Vietnam during the war and dreaming of the US. This is one of Sam’s finest vocals to dates – B+
